AUTHOR'S NOTE:To be honest, I made this story (and finished it) when I was in 6th grade. But I decided to rewrite it and until currently, I am not finished with it yet. So, I'll be posting one chapter a day. So, there will be a total of 8 (for now).

I will already apologize if I make Uchiha Itachi (from Naruto) a bit (or very) OOC (Out of Character). And if you're confused about anything in the story, you can ask me but if I feel that the answers will reveal itself in the course of the story then I am sorry for that.

This story has been written, re-written, double-checked and edited a number of times already so I hope there won't be any more grammar/spelling mistakes (but I highly doubt that). If you notice, even one small detail wrong then please tell me! I'm a perfectionist, sorry! Hahaha...

To start off, this is a brief summary. If you like it, continue onto Chapter 1. If not, I'm sorry to hear that but anyway, it's not my loss or yours. ^^, Here it is:

SUMMARY:She hates him just because...she loves him. He loves her because he knew she saw something beyond what mere eyes can see. She reached into his soul and found...a completely different person.

It's not much but that will do. ^^,

(LAST)AUTHOR'S NOTE:All comments for this story should not be placed here but here:

DISCLAIMER: I own the story and all OCs. I hate plagiarizers so why would I steal? Therefore it should be obvious that I don't own Itachi and all Naruto Canon characters. This goes for all the chapters.

It was late in the afternoon, about four or five o'clock to be much more precise. I simply lay upon my soft comfy bed with both of my eyes closed as I thought of random things that came into mind while I patiently waited for Akane to arrive and disturb me. And speaking of her, I suddenly remembered the first time we met.

FLASHBACK

I was at my weakest state, heavily bruised and almost unconscious. My eyes were scarcely open and my vision was unclear. All I could see was a vague silhouette of a girl just about my age frantically trying her best to heal me. And right at the moment when I felt her relieve me from some of the pain, I immediately blacked out.

"I hope she wakes up soon." A sweet voice muttered.

'I know Mizuki, she'll be up in no time.' a hoarse growl, which I recognized as Senji's replied.

I opened my gray black eyes at the sound of my name and found myself in a brightly lit room, which I knew was mine. I looked around and noticed two figures' faces hovering over mine quite closely. I tried to sit up but it caused me so much pain that I failed.

"You're finally awake, Aizawa-san!" a young brown-haired girl with crystal blue eyes told me, happily. "Please try not to move too much, I just healed all of your wounds last night." She added in concern.

"Sorry, but who are you?" I asked her, curious.

"Oops! My name's Utama Akane, it's nice to be of service to you, Aizawa-san." She answered, a smile plastered upon her face.

'Mizuki, I called for her help after your fight with -' the silver wolf didn't finish despite the questioning look on my face.

"Ita-" I started to finish for him but then decided not to. "Thank you, Akane but please just call me Mizuki." I continued gratefully although I was reminded of him.

I felt my lips curve into a small smile at the thought. My mind then drifted to more happy thoughts until one certain recollection of the boy who...

My eyes shot open, revealing the light black orbs from within. I hastily got up from my bed and went out of my room, stopping only when I came across my silver wolf guardian, Senji, down the hallway towards the front door.

'Where are you going, Mizuki?' he asked me curious.

"Nowhere." I answered vaguely. "Please tell Akane to stay here and wait for me." I added as I ran out of the door.

I had to get as far away from this village as possible because I sensed four powerful entities surrounding my house earlier but now they were on my tail close behind me. Senji would understand how dangerous this'd be so I trust he'd keep Akane safe.

(Itachi's POV)

'Did Mizuki find out that I'm watching her?' I thought, hoping otherwise as I followed Mizuki, who was running out of the village at lightning speed whilst I trailed behind her by jumping from tree to tree in a slightly slower pace.

I knew Mizuki well. If she sensed something perilous, she would face it alone somewhere where no one would get hurt. Then did that mean I was a threat? Considering what happened, I couldn't blame her judgment.

I looked around noticing our distance from the Hidden Flame Village. Upon reaching a wide and grassy clearing, Mizuki stopped at the center while I hid behind dense trees.

"Whoever you four are; come out now and face me!" Mizuki yelled quite blankly.

'Four? Then it wasn't me she sensed but then who was she referring to?' I thought quite shocked.

"Master Orochimaru has been searching for you, Syrrine." One of the legendary sanin's sound-nins announced as all four of them came out of hiding.

"If you want me, come and get me!" Mizuki retorted tauntingly as she prepared her fighting stance.

They all complied and attacked her at the exact same time but Mizuki defended herself with ease and using the six elements (wind, fire, earth, water, darkness, and light) she launched her counter attacks. I watched her battling, fascinated by her flawless strategies that were carefully put together on the spot and her attacks that were planned with utmost haste. It was obvious to me that she had matured greatly over the years.

The fight went on and on and the upper hand still seemed to be with Mizuki until she was barely able to evade a large arrow aiming for her chest but instead scratched her upper right leg. It was nothing to her but there came a time when that petty cut made her imbalance, making her realize that that d'mned arrow was poisoned.

It was getting dark but the fight wasn't over yet. All of them looked exhausted however Mizuki tried to deny it. No one wanted to give up and Mizuki was gradually feeling weaker and weaker because of the poison.

"This is the end." She mumbled suddenly, smirking.

'What does she plan to do now?' I asked myself mentally, curious as to what she was about to do.

I watched as Mizuki closed her eyes and when they disappeared behind their lids, a strong surge of power was released from her petite body. And upon the sudden reopening of her now dark violet orbs, everything became still and motionless as if time had stopped and I was, like the four of them, seemingly paralyzed.

"Behold the power of my Eyes of Chaos." Mizuki whispered as she made quick hand seals ending with the tiger seal. "Mind Concealment Technique!" she yelled and in a blink of an eye, she just vanished without a trace.

'Where did she go? Did she escape? Runaway? But it's not like Mizuki to give in like this.' I thought as I realized that my body regained the power to move.

I tried locating her to no avail. It was useless; she wasn't anywhere in sight. Just when I was about to give up searching, the sound-nins obtained mysterious injuries from out of nowhere or at least that's what she wanted them to think. Realizing Mizuki's brilliant tactic, I smirked.

She did not give up (I wasn't even sure if she knew what that meant, anyway) nor did she runaway; she was simply invisible. How she had done it was plain but exhausting. Using the genjutsu (illusionary techniques) of the Aizawa clan, Mind Concealment Technique, she was able to send out brain waves to make her opponents think that she was indeed gone. Mizuki clearly gained back the advantage but in a way, I felt sorry for these ninjas because she really was taking them seriously and without mercy.

When her opponents finally came to a conclusion that she really was just plainly out of their sight, they started fighting back. But their poor attempts to beat Mizuki were scarcely possible for if they could barely hit her when she could be seen, how could they even think of being able to attack her now that she was invisible? However, if her attacks have a repeating pattern their probability of success should raise, unless she's just being reckless, in which case they'd be lucky just touching a strand of her hair.

One by one they lost to her, each death graver than the next. They have definitely pushed her to her limits but knowing Mizuki, her true powers lay beyond her limitations.

With all four of them beaten, she released her concealment, making her visible to the eye once more. She looked weak and tired but she still managed a small smile. She tilted her head to one side and stared up at the starry night sky, her face bathed in the moonlight, causing her to appear even more beautiful than she normally was.

"You've done it again, Mizuki." I whispered silently for certain I was the only one to hear.

Just as those words escaped my lips, I saw Mizuki hurtling backwards unto the ground. She had just collapsed from obvious exhaustion and surely the poison must've taken its effect by now.

(Back to Mizuki's (My) POV)

The battle finally came to an end and I felt somewhat light-headed. I had known that this would happen but I did not have all night to fight these losers and the quickest way to eliminate them was to use one of our clan's illusionary jutsu (the "Mind Concealment" for example), which was a lot more draining than I could remember since I used it longer than I intended to. My whole body was numb and I was starting to feel dizzy. The fight cost a lot more time and chakra than I expected but I guess I've reached my constraint. My world, as I pictured it, was spinning before my very eyes and I felt myself falling towards the ground. I could not halt myself from my unstoppable collision but the impact never came for someone caught me in his arms.

"It's not advisable for you to use that technique a lot." My savior told me in a voice that was strangely familiar as he leaned me on a nearby tree's trunk. "It's much too tedious..." his voice was calm yet laced with slight unease.

My eyes were scarcely ajar as the stranger removed a stray strand of my long silver hair out of my pale face, revealing to me his deep crimson eyes that I thought I saw somewhere before. I held on to my consciousness just so I could try to figure out who the heck this person was or is to me. He moved closer, the moon's radiance enlightening his handsome face. Why do I feel like I've met him before?

As my mind strained to remember, I felt his lips crash unto mine fervently. I was shocked but I was too weak to do anything about it. I could hear our hearts beating harmoniously as if they were sacredly connected and bound by an explicit force, making me give in to the kiss.

After about ten seconds, he broke the kiss as slowly as he could. The 'connection' was short-lived even if it did seem to last forever. And in a split second, he disappeared, leaving me there, all alone. His kiss gave me the strength to stand (somehow, he had transferred a portion of his power to me when our lips met) but still his identity was unknown. I stared at where he once was, my eyes fully open but he was but an unclear figure in my mind.

"There you are, Mizuki-chan! I've been looking all over for you!" Akane's shrill and girly voice yelled as Senji trailed behind her.

I looked back at her; I was clearly dumbstruck although it wasn't the first time she came looking for me but it was surely unnecessary.

"Akane, you –" I started to tell her but a sharp pain from my thigh prevented me from saying anymore as I kneeled back down to the ground trying to ease the pain.

"Mizuki-chan, what's wrong?" Akane asked as she went over to me, concern filled her crystal blue eyes.

She inspected my injured thigh, which I didn't want to show her at first (but let's face it, I just couldn't say no). Just one glance at it was enough for her to know that it was poisoned. Being one of the best medical specialists, it was only natural.

"Extracting the poison manually won't work anymore since the poison had spread throughout your body but I could create the antidote." She stated as she placed one of my arms over her shoulders so she could help me stand and walk back to the village. "However, it may take a while." She added.

"I told you to tell her to wait for me, right?" I asked Senji as Akane began her nag-fest.

'I was worried too.' Senji answered plainly.

I kept quiet, knowing I couldn't do anything to stop their anxiousness and besides, I had to find out who the hell kissed me. But how could I, when all I remember was his captivating red eyes and his soothing voice although his face was a complete blur to me. I had a strange feeling that I knew who he was. I recognized his calm and emotionless voice that once appeased me to sleep and the touch of his lips were all too familiar.

I stopped suddenly, pulling out of Akane's grasp, shocked at my own discovery. Those deep crimson eyes and blank tone of voice was his and I couldn't deny that fact. He was the only person I've ever kissed in my whole life so I'm surely not mistaken. Personally, it would've been better if I'd kept his identity unknown for I couldn't stand thinking that he had once again tricked me unto a kiss!

"Uchiha Itachi..." I whispered his name with utmost hatred; ignoring the worried stare Akane was giving me.

Memories maybe years' past but for me it's a ghost haunting my existence. If I could only turn back time to prevent our tragic encounter from ever becoming a reality, my heart would still be whole because for every tear that I shed, meant a moment of joy we once shared and every time I think of you, I painfully remember how much I loved you... To believe you is what made me blue; it was the gravest mistake I could ever do. But, my love, this I swear is true; I am going to kill you!

I squeezed myself through a crowded street full of people, searching high and low for a certain black-haired boy who neglected to tell me where he had gone.

"Itachi-kun!" I yelled, looking in both directions. "Where are you?" I added a little louder.

I continuously called out his name until I finally caught sight of him at the other end of that busy street.

"Itachi-kun!" I screeched as I quickly ran towards him and when he was in my arm's length, I gave him a warm and friendly hug.

"Mizuki, what are you doing?" he asked somewhat surprised to see me.

I let him go and put both my of my hands on my waists suddenly looking stern. He simply gave me a quizzical look, making me more irritated than I already was.

"Where were you? Do you know how worried you made me? Why didn't you tell me where you were going? I –" I questioned, quite annoyed.

"Sorry." Itachi interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest of my nagging as he quickly hid something behind his back.

"What was that?" I inquired, suddenly becoming curious.

"Nothing." He lied, nervousness present in his usually calm voice. "I think we should head back." He continued, trying to change the subject.

"Nice try, Itachi-kun. What is it? Show me!" I retorted seeing right through his lie.

Realizing that he could never fool me, he sighed while my lips curved into an amused smirk.

"All right, Mizuki. I'll give it to you." He said, back to his emotionless self. "But first, close your eyes." He added, smirking a little.

"Why should I? How do I know you won't trick me?" I asked curiously slightly accusing.

"Just trust me." He simply answered.

The (almost) twelve-year-old me hesitantly complied and I slowly closed my light black eyes, wondering what he was thinking of. He tucked a few strands of my short silver hair behind my ear, admiring my beauty for a moment before giving me a small peck on my soft rosy cheeks.

"That's what," he silently muttered.

My eyes suddenly shot open as I blushed madly, completely forgetting about the mysterious box in Itachi's hands.

Suddenly, everything faded away into darkness and obscurity wherein nothing could be seen nor heard. Then slowly, a new scene formed in front of my eyes.

I was lying upon the stone-cold floor, drenched in my own blood from my many cuts and bruises, terribly weak and powerless. My gray black eyes showed utter sadness; it's like I couldn't believe what was happening right then and there. He was standing in front of me, just waiting for me to get up, a bloody katana at hand. I looked up at him, my tears begging to be shed but I did not let them fall. I then forced my battered body to stand and face him.

"Why Itachi? Why are you doing this to me?" I questioned angrily and somewhat puzzled.

Moments passed by, as he stayed silent, probably asking himself the same question. All I wanted was an explanation as to why my best friend was trying to kill me on the night of my twelfth birthday, no less.

Upon its activation my light black eyes turned a dark shade of violet. Itachi knew I was serious; I never called him by his last name before and that was the first time.

"It's because," he started to say, unsure of what to tell me.

"What?" I persisted impatiently.

He dropped his fighting stance and returned his katana back in its sheath, indicating that he had given up. He turned to exit through the window but before he could leave, I stopped him.

"Itachi-kun!" I called to get his attention.

Fortunately, I did and he turned his head around to face me, half of his body was already out the window.

"You haven't answered my question yet." I said sternly; it was difficult for me to keep standing so I did not bother trying to pursue the battle and besides I was too weak to fight anymore.

"It's because I love you..." he answered silently and with that said he immediately left.

His words gave me quite a bit of shock; if he loved me, why would he try and kill me? Was that really his reason or was he just plainly sick-in-the-head? Out of pure exhaustion, I deactivated my Eyes of Chaos and fell forward back onto the floor unto a pool of red substance.

Like before, everything dispersed unto an unwavering darkness where there was nothing, just a pitch-black atmosphere.

How I once thought you were the best, when you were really no better than the rest. You made me believe that you were the one, who wouldn't love me just for fun. But all you were was a liar, who left me just for one senseless desire...

Those words echoed through my mind, making me feel restless.

I woke up with a start, immediately sitting up taking many shallow breaths. Cold sweat streamed down from my forehead as tears fell from my eyes uncontrollably. I raised one of my shivering hands up to my head, feeling a really large amount of heat. I sighed as I used a healing jutsu (technique) to cool myself down for I knew the fever I've gotten from the poison had worsened.

Akane still hadn't finished the proper antidote for it so I have no choice but to wait (she knew best, especially when it came to the field of medicine). I got out of my bed very careful so as not to disturb Senji in his sleep.

I silently went to my closet and got changed into my normal outfit, which was a short, black, pleated skirt, a red turtleneck blouse with a black leather jacket over it. I needed to refresh my mind from horrible memories of my past that kept on haunting me in my dreams. I went over to Dragon Lake, the place where I usually come to train but in this case I came here to ponder over the past. I knew it would’ve been better if I’d forget about its tragedy but I just couldn’t let go.

"He was the only one I've ever loved..." I muttered quietly to myself as I grabbed a hold of the necklace Itachi had given me.

Who would've thought that this was the content of the mysterious box he had hidden from me back then? It was simple yet elegant-looking because of its shiny silver chain and austere silver locket with the words "Forever Yours" engraved upon it.

My eyes squinted as I watched the sun rise from the horizon; its radiance slightly hurt my eyes. In a life like mine, it felt wonderful just to know that there was still some beauty left in this world. I sighed as I recalled him again for what seemed like the hundred thousandth time that week.

"Next time, I won't let you have your way." I told myself. "I will get my revenge." I added, my voice full of hatred.

(Akane's POV)

I woke up extra early today because I wanted to surprise Mizuki with one of my homemade cakes made especially for her birthday. If I didn't hurry, she would have already gone training and I wouldn't be able to give it to her at home.

"I'm finally done!" I said triumphantly for I knew I still had time to spare. "I just know Mizuki will love this!" I added happily.

I knew it was just a one-layered, chocolate cake but Mizuki liked everything to be simple. The only thing special about this cake was the rich chocolate icing and the "Happy Birthday" greeting made out of rainbow-colored sprinkles; it's a little childish but at least it's sincere.

Mizuki's home was only a few houses away from mine so getting there wouldn't be much of a hassle. And besides, it's quite awhile before sunrise when Mizuki usually wakes therefore time was in my hands.

I merrily made my way towards her humble home, the delicious cake in my hands. I smiled when I remembered my past with Mizuki since we met three years ago. Even though she almost never showed any emotion, I could always see right through her expressionless mask; deep inside I knew she was warm and caring, but I guess she thought that showing any emotion was a weakness and would make her vulnerable.

"For once, I just wish you'd trust me enough to show me your true self." I mumbled softly, a small smile appearing upon my lips.

By then, I had arrived at Mizuki's place and I gently knocked on the door. No answer came so I got worried. I opened the peculiarly unlocked door and came face to face (not literally) with none other than the silver wolf, Senji.

"Where'd Mizuki go, Senji?" I asked him, curious.

'I don't know, Akane. She left even before I awakened.'' Senji answered.

"Aww, c'mon! I thought that this year I'd be able to surprise her!" I stated, disappointed. "How early am I supposed to wake up?" I added, grinning.

'I'm guessing you shouldn't sleep at all.' Senji replied, smirking.

"You're probably right!" I laughed. "Where would she be this year?" I added, asking myself the same question.

"Uchiha Itachi dream, again?" I inquired as both of us headed toward the later destination.

'It seems so.' Senji said, somewhat bored.

"I thought so. Especially after what happened yesterday; it's no surprise." I retorted anxious for Mizuki's condition. "She just can't forget about that guy, can she?" I continued quizzically.

'I don't think so. You know as well as I do that Itachi was Mizuki's first and only love.' Senji stated everything he said was in fact, true.

"Yeah and you know I can't blame her." I said in response, remembering the love of my life.

'Clearly. Medication is not your only area of expertise.' Senji replied slyly.

I laughed at his comment but suddenly stopped when I saw Mizuki's back a couple of feet in front of me. I instantly dropped the cake I had baked unto the ground and hastily ran towards her. She turned around when she sensed me and immediately got caught in my embrace; she was utterly shocked.

"Akane?" she whispered, surprised. "You're squishing me." She continued, somewhat out of breathe because of my tight hug.

"You got me really worried! You know you were suppose to stay in bed until I finished the antidote!" I told her off finally loosening my grasp on her.

"I'll be fine." Mizuki reassured.

I let her go and checked her temperature. She had a slight fever but she'll live. I sighed in relief, knowing her condition wasn't worsening that fast. I admired Mizuki's body resistance, a normal person would've died immediately after being injected with the poison, but she was holding on pretty well.

"We better get started on the antidote now, shouldn't we?" I stated back to my happy self.

Mizuki merely nodded and side by side, we made our way back while Senji followed behind us, as usual, watching out for Mizuki as if she needed protection (but I know he's only doing his duty).

"By the way, Mizuki-chan; Happy Birthday!" I greeted joyfully and as if she read my mind (it's quite possible because of her bloodline) for once, she smiled, making me quite surprised; this was just one of the few times she had smiled at me.

(Itachi's POV)

Just this morning, my partner, Hoshigake Kisame and I were given a mission to capture the possessor of the Crest of Syrrine, an ancient piece of jewelry with unbelievable powers that was entrusted to a special member of the Aizawa clan (the possessor). The one who had it was said to share a body with the two-headed dragon, Syrrine, who was sealed within the powerful crest.

At present, the person who possessed the Crest of Syrrine was no one other than 'my' lovely Mizuki. Capturing her was hard enough as it was, since even I haven't seen her true potential, without having to force her to join Akatsuki as well. No matter how hard this mission would be, we really didn't have any other choice but to accept and besides I wanted to see what her reaction would be when we finally come face to face after three long years (and this time she'd know it's me). So, without further delay, we were off to the Hidden Flame Village that very same day.

"What day is it today?" I suddenly asked Kisame out of nowhere.

"Friday, why?" he answered, kind of puzzled yet surprised as well.

'It has been exactly three years since that day...' I thought as I answered Kisame's with a simple, "Nothing."

Before long we had arrived at the said village where Aizawa Mizuki currently resided. It was just as I remember it; it was still quiet and peaceful. We did not need to hurry for I knew that it wouldn't be long before Mizuki and I would bump into each other (not literally; the village wasn't that big) but just in case, it would be better if we go straight to her house.

"Weren't you given a mission to kill her 3 years ago or something?" Kisame inquired getting bored of the peace and orderliness of this village; I swear, if I wasn't around and if this wasn't an official mission, he would've gladly started a war.

"Yes, but that mission was a failure but not a total loss." I answered him blankly.

"What makes you say that?" he asked again.

"She's still alive, isn't she?" I retorted like it was completely obvious (really, it is!). "And she was able to beat me." I added to myself though it was only half-true.

"She was able to beat you?" he questioned, unfortunately he heard me and he was quite shocked.

"Never underestimate the power of her bloodline; The Eyes of Chaos is invulnerable to any kind of doujutsu (bloodline) as well as my Sharingan." I explained in my defense (he might think I'm weak if he didn't know).

"If that's the case, how do we find her?" Kisame inquired, curious.

"She's not that hard to find." I responded emotionlessly.

He stopped speaking and so did I (there was no point in talking anymore). We were heading toward Mizuki's house when we encountered two sixteen-year-old girls and a lone silver wolf at their heals, walking in the opposite direction. One of the girls had long, waist-length, silver hair, light black eyes and a frail white complexion; she was definitely the one we came here for. I watched her pass by us from the corner of my eyes, noticing every detail of her beauty.

'She's even more beautiful than before; still very fragile but not to be underestimated; I notice Senji is still with her. And just like before, she's still MINE...' I thought deeply.

(Back to Mizuki's POV)

As Akane and I were on our way to search for the herbs she needed for my vaccine, we passed by two guys in black cloaks (and with red clouds too) and I recognized one of them.

'Itachi? So he's back...' I thought looking at him from the corner of my eyes.

What happened next seemed to be planned out perfectly; even I didn't expect that to happen! Everything was done so quickly that I had barely had time to react and intervene them. By the time Akane realized what had happened, she was already in the hands of Itachi himself. And as for me, a large sword was pointing closely upon my neck with the wielder right behind me.

.:Beyond What My Eyes Can See:. Chapter 3- Mission Accomplished
They were here for me; I just knew it. Why else would Itachi dare show himself to me? But this time, considering that he had captured Akane instead of me, my death wasn't what they came for. So, what did they want from me this time?

"Let go of her now!" I said, giving Itachi a look of utter hate; I could not bring myself to say his name for it caused me to reminisce or painful past.

"Her name is Utama Akane and she has nothing to do with what you're looking for." I told him, expressionless.

"Don't try to fool us, you idiot!" he retorted, disbelieving.

"She's not lying, Kisame." Itachi interrupted blankly.

"What?" the shark-faced person known as Kisame, inquired.

My lips curved into a small smirk; once again, I was mistaken for a weak and useless girl, which I was most certainly not. Even Akane looked stronger than me! I closed my eyes, giving Senji the order not to interfere then I activated the Eyes of Chaos, if Itachi wouldn't let go of her, I would make him do it instead.

"Well then, if she's what we came for, let's take her and go!" Kisame suggested quite arrogantly.

"Do you really think it's going to be that easy?" I retorted somewhat annoyed; he was underestimating me.

At that moment, after those words were said, I disappeared, or at least that's what it seemed like but it wasn't what really did happen. In reality, I just used a quick paralyzing jutsu on Kisame using my doujutsu thus giving time the chance to slip away from his clutches. I did all those at my full speed therefore seeming like I had dispersed into nothing. By the time, his body regained the ability to move, I was already right in front of him, his wrist tight within my grasp.

"Who’s the idiot now?" I muttered and using the special power of my bloodline to hear, possess, control, torture and fool one's mind, I made him think that Itachi was a very sexy, naked girl, who wanted to 'play' with him.

'Ugh...I cannot maintain my Eyes of Chaos for much longer but I must; it's for Akane!' I thought as I almost lost control over my bloodline.

I felt my burning fever gradually return to me and it became worse than ever before. I would have a hard time beating him this time around bearing in mind my awful condition but that didn't stop me from saving my best friend.

I simply watched with slight amusement as Itachi attempted to keep Kisame away from his 'sexy' self. He was still as skillful as before and possibly even better. Well, he's not the only one who's gotten stronger; if it wasn't for the poison, I could've easily beaten him without any problem but with Akane and my slight weakness to his advantage, I might be forced to do something I would regret in the near future.

"Let go of her now, Itachi!" I finally told him after he knocked Kisame out.

I closed my eyes and deactivated the Eyes of Chaos, after discovering that continuous use of it would worsen the ill situation even further. I tried to think of something that would actually work against Itachi's Sharingan; using genjutsu would be useless without my Eyes of Chaos to render his doujutsu ineffective; and using ninjutsu could work but he might use Akane against me, which I could not afford happening. My chakra was low because of the poison that seemed to use it all up and my speed was the only asset I could possibly use in this fight. So, taijutsu (hand to hand combat) was my only hope.

I stood into my fighting stance and soon after, I attacked the Uchiha. I was slightly annoyed; I barely hit him especially when I saw the fear in Akane's eyes. I also found it hard to hurt him but I didn't know why. I finally had a chance to kill him but why was I still holding back? Could it be possible that I still had a soft spot for him? I just hope not.

'So, this is the infamous Uchiha Itachi; it's no wonder Mizuki-chan fell for him, he's gorgeous! What's more, he's an awesome fighter but what's he doing to Mizuki? I know she's better than this! She had been waiting for this day; the day she kills the one who tried to end her life, she can't be worried about my sake, can she?' Akane thought anxiously.

Without warning, my eyesight dimmed and I lost my concentration, proving to be a good chance for Itachi to go into offense. He hit me directly unto my stomach, sending me flying toward the ground.

"MIZUKI-CHAN!" Akane yelled, struggling to break free from Itachi's arms but to no avail; his grip was much to strong.

Her voice enabled me to fight off the darkness consuming me giving me the chance to catch myself from falling. The austere necklace from three years ago shined in the sun as I back flipped myself back up. I pulled myself together; ignoring the surprised stare Itachi was giving me.

'She still has that necklace?' Itachi thought, getting quite distracted.

I noticed this and took it as an opportunity to charge back at him, getting my revenge as my fist made an impact upon his handsome face. But I knew that it wasn't the end; actually, the real battle had just begun.

"We're going to look for someone in the Hidden Flame Village." I answered calmly.

"Who're you looking for? Is this a mission?" Uzumaki Naruto, a blonde-haired genin with blue eyes questioned.

"This is not a mission but I need to see a girl named Aizawa Mizuki; it's her birthday today." I responded blankly.

'Is she Kakashi-sensei's girl friend?' both Naruto and Sakura thought.

"How old is she now?" Naruto inquired with utmost curiosity.

"As a matter of fact, she's only sixteen (16)." I simply answered.

"How do you know her sensei?" a very curious Sakura asked.

"I was once one of the Anbus that protected her." I said in response to her query.

"Who is she? Why would someone need all that protection?" Sakura stated. "She must be pretty weak." She added, confidently.

"On the contrary, she's even more powerful than you three (3) combined." I explained, remembering how talented Mizuki was even as a child.

"What?" the last member of Genin Team 7 (seven), Uchiha Sasuke; a boy with bluish black hair and deep black eyes suddenly reacted. "If she's so strong, why did she need protection?" he continued in complete disbelief.

"It's because she's the Aizawa clan's princess and during the peace signing between Konoha and her village, her safety was at high priority." I clarified, not wanting them to underestimate Mizuki's capabilities.

"Then why did you have to take us along with you?" Sasuke asked somewhat expressionless yet somewhat annoyed.

"Yeah! Sasuke's right! Why did you have to bring us too?" Sakura agreed, as always everything Sasuke suggests was true or correct.

"Yes, Mizuki's quite a special exception." I said in response to her inquiry. "For centuries, the possessors have all been part of the male population but for some strange reason, a girl was chosen." I continued, explaining well my point.

I sadly admit that I am not doing very well with my so-called 'revenge' against Itachi; on the contrary, I was getting my own butt kicked! With the poison running through my veins and Akane in his hands I never really stood a chance in the first place.

I took deep breaths, feeling extremely tired and sick as a matter of fact. No matter how much Akane wanted to help me, she was pretty helpless herself. I wished to save her so badly; she was always there for me and I wanted so much to return that favor.

Just then, I felt a quite familiar presence. Within a few moments I recognized him; it was none other than Hatake Kakashi, one of my former protectors. But what was he doing here? I gave him a questioning look, which he chose to ignore. I sighed, knowing he wanted an explanation as to why I was fighting Itachi.

"I'll kill you, you b'stard!" a young boy who sort of resembled Itachi quite well yelled, furious as he ran towards him in an attack.

"No! Stop! He still has Akane with him!" I interrupted causing this boy to halt his attack and look at me quizzically.

Then I noticed for the first time that this 'little version' of Itachi was with Kakashi as well as two more young genins; they were undoubtedly Kakashi's students. One of them caught my eyes the enraged one obviously hated Itachi as much as I did, however, I couldn't let him launch that attack for Akane might get hurt as well. This whole scenario seemed to distract Itachi slightly and I grabbed the risky opportunity to attack, which he countered by means of throwing Akane to me, leaving me no choice but to catch her. I caught her bridal style but the force had shaken my already dizzy brain, confusing me slightly.

Akane realized this and quickly grabbed smoke bombs. She made them explode right where we were before changing myself into her (henge no jutsu transforming technique) and vice versa. I felt as though my head and everything around me was spinning so I could not complain with my transformation, not that it was a bad idea but it was useless against Itachi's Sharingan. The fumes blinded everyone and as soon as most of it cleared out, Itachi swiftly grabbed who seemed to be Akane but was actually me.

"Come back with Mizuki-chan! I haven't cured the poison yet! Itachi...Wait!" I heard Akane yell gradually growing weak, almost a whisper as Itachi took me away.

Before completely blacking out, I heard a silent whisper from my handsome capturer, "Happy Birthday..." and then total darkness.

"MIZUKI-CHAN!" I yelled out loudly, running forward out of the smoke I created earlier as I changed back into my real self.

I was crying a million tears; I failed miserably to protect my friend. This could not be good; Uchiha Itachi, an S-class missing-nin, who also happened to be her most hated person in the whole entire world, just kidnapped Mizuki.

"Why didn't any of you try and save her? Why?" I questioned the people who were just standing there, shocked at the whole scenario.

'Akane will you please calm down.' Senji told me.

"Calm down, Senji? Calm down?" I repeated questioningly. "My best friend just got kidnapped by missing-nin! And what about the poison?" I added my temper rising.

"Senji, what just happened?" the silver-haired man, who mysteriously knew Mizuki asked, utterly dumbfounded at what had just occurred moments ago.

"Isn't it obvious?" I mumbled rudely.

'Akane.' Senji scolded.

"Humph. I'm sorry." I stated, bowing slightly to this stranger to show my apology; I was really in a very mad mood right now.

I started walking away, not wanting to waste time chatting with these people who did not know how bad this situation was. I had to devise a plan to get Mizuki back. It wasn't going to be easy, I didn't even know where to find her in the first place.

'Maybe she'll be much safer with him and possibly be happier. In fact, I think it's for the best if she was with him; she'll be able to get what she wants.' I thought, thinking positively until I was interrupted.

"Akane!" the silver-haired jounin called.

"What is it?" I asked as I turned around.

He had a lot of questions and he thought I knew the answers. I could give some of the information he needed but I did not reveal all to this stranger, Hatake Kakashi and his students.

"If you really know Mizuki, you'd be aware of what they want; they want Syrrine's power just like the rest of them." I told them, calmly.

From what I've noticed and found out, Hatake Kakashi was once an Anbu who watched over Mizuki; and one of his students, Uchiha Sasuke was Itachi's younger brother. This boy, Sasuke, seemed so interested in Mizuki, well I couldn't blame him for crushing on her; she's very strong and beautiful, almost perfect, what else could you ask for?

"Why did she seem so weak?" the young pink-haired girl stated questioningly and somewhat jealous, making me realize that she liked Sasuke, which was a complete understatement.

"For your information, Mizuki is not weak! She was holding back! What you saw wasn't even half of her strength!" I yelled in annoyance; I didn't know how Mizuki could stand it when people underestimated her!

'Akane, please.' Senji told me off.

I sighed and said, "I have no idea as to where he might've took her but maybe she's better off with him anyway." I muttered, shocking them all.

(Back to Mizuki's POV)

I sat in the middle of a dark and eerie room, all alone. I could not believe how stupid they were! They expect to keep me here but they did not have anyone guarding me and these ropes were supposed to stop me from escaping!

"Pathetic." I whispered blankly, a small smirk on my face.

I closed my eyes as a sharp kunai slipped from the sleeve of my jacket. They did not even disarm me; were they so confident that I would not escape? I slyly cut the ropes binding my hands together and proceeded with untying my ankles; this is getting dubious.

"So they did do something after all," I mumbled, noticing that they had taken my weapons pouch. "Though I think they could've done a better job." I added, smirking at their ignorance.

I walked forward, moving toward the narrow window on the far eastside of the room. It was locked, not that securely though for I effortlessly disabled its lock. I easily slipped out of the opening, swiftly jumping down onto the ground. I landed with a small 'thump' upon the ground and gracefully stood up straight.

"This is way too easy." I told myself, getting even more suspicious.

I looked back at the Akatsuki headquarters; it seemed to be a rundown building in the middle of nowhere but I knew that it was just a very powerful genjutsu to disguise its true purpose of sheltering missing-nins. Suddenly the sense of the one who had been watching my escape grew stronger. He was coming; finally, he was going to show himself.

"Uchiha Itachi." I muttered, trying to hide the hate and anger present in my voice as I said his name.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked as he revealed himself to me.

"What's it to you?" I retorted quite blankly, although deep inside I really wanted to strangle him.

"I cannot let you escape, Mizuki." Itachi said in response with no emotion at all.

"Don't speak to me as if nothing happened, Uchiha." I told him, my voice expressionless yet somewhat mad. "Nothing will ever be the same again because I will kill you." I continued, taking my fighting stance.

He seemed as though he was not taking me seriously and that annoyed me. I charged at his stationary body, aiming a punch at that irritatingly handsome face of his. He finally moved, searching one of his pockets for a weapon maybe however I was incorrect; it wasn't a weapon but a necklace – my necklace!

I was shocked; how the hell did he get a hold of it? That was not the only thing that went wrong; he was able to deflect my attack with his free hand, grabbing mine tightly preventing any escape. I looked at my necklace and then back at his face, yelling.

"Give it back to me, NOW!" I had screamed, trying to grab it but he prevented me from doing so.

"Why do you still keep this?" he asked somewhat innocently. "Don't you hate me?"

"I do." I answered him. "And I swear that I'll kill you if you don't give that back to me!"

"Then kill me now." He said surprising me so.

"Huh?" I muttered, alarmed that he took me so lightly.

"You said you hated me. You said you were going to kill me; were all those just words?" he answered, making me agitated.

With that, I retaliated my free hand and punched him squarely in the face, hard. The impact caused him to turn the other way but he seemed unfazed when he turned back to face me, that infuriating smirk plastered upon his face.

"Was that supposed to kill me? Was that it, Mizuki?" he inquired, blood trailed down his lips.

I returned his smirk and back flipped out of his grasp, back into my fighting stance. I was determined to finish him off once and for all; he was really getting on my nerves. He wouldn't live to hear me say how much he had ruined my already disastrous life.

"I'll just have to get my necklace back from your rotting corpse later." I stated darkly, activating the Eyes of Chaos as well.

That painful feeling that sucked all my strength was still present and I just knew that the poison was acting up again but I could not let that get in the way of this fight. I ignored the pain and endured the sudden feeling of weakness; I did not want Itachi to find out that I had a disadvantage. I still kept my bloodline on; it was not as effective as it would've been since I'm only using less than half of its power. I panted but if I wanted to end his life, I had to try my hardest to fight back!

No matter which element or whatever technique I use, I could not hit Itachi; it's not like I wasn't capable of this, it's just that I still could not hurt him. What was wrong with me? I was finally given the opportunity to give Itachi what he deserved but why was I still holding back?

"You're tired already, Mizuki?" he asked me in that same blank tone of voice.

I had stopped speaking, knowing he was just wanted to annoy me with his blabbering. Instead of talking, I attacked him though I wasn't anywhere near to killing him. I ceased my rain of attacks to catch my breath; I was really exhausted and I knew Itachi was too, he just didn't show it.

This time, I saw things differently; I did not care if I would not be able to kill Itachi, there'd be plenty of chances I'd get to do that but my necklace, it meant so much to me. It was the only thing that made me feel like I was in the arms of the Itachi I loved; I didn't want it to fall in the hands of this killer Itachi, I just couldn't.

I stood still in one spot, glaring at Itachi, who was walking toward me. My eyes looked down his chest where the locket of my necklace laid; I so desperately wanted it back, why wouldn't he give it back to me?

"Give – it – back..." I panted softly and weakly, barely even audible.

Was it just me or did Itachi just disappear? I sharpened all my senses, looking around and trying to find him, who suddenly appeared behind me. In a swift movement, I turned around to hit him but he wasn't there anymore. I felt a soft pull upon my neck, making me look down. My necklace was hanging there but how the heck was that possible?

"What the -?" I whispered, shocked.

I looked up to Itachi, giving him a deadly look, if he thinks returning my necklace would make me reconsider killing him, he's dead wrong. I tried to punch him but he caught my fist. I attempted to kick him with my left feet but again he had blocked my attack. I bent my right knee and made my free hand touch the ground beneath me. He looked at me with utter curiosity; not knowing what I'll do for my Eyes of Chaos prevented his Sharingan from predicting my next movements. Before he knew it, I had kicked him right in the chest, making him let go of my hand and feet.

I panted, feeling that all the air in my lungs was suddenly forced out of me. I did not like that feeling; that feeling made me feel weak. I simply watched as Itachi stood back up, clutching his chest. My attack might not have done much damage but from the way I'm feeling now, that was the most I could do to him.

I stood straight just giving him an intense stare. We both did that for quite some time and wanted to look away, really I did but for some strange reason, I just couldn't take my eyes off of him. Just then, a sharp pain erupted from the deep cut on my right thigh. I placed my hand over it; trying to ease the pain it was causing me. I released my Eyes of Chaos; it had gone beyond my control. There were tears in my light black orbs and even if I tried to keep them from falling there was no stopping the flow of tears. It hurt so much; I wish someone would take the pain away! I breathed heavily, using my knees for support, still the pain would not go away.

(Itachi's POV)

There was something trickling down Mizuki's face, mixing with the blood from her reopened wound. She was in so much pain and I just wished I could relieve some of it from her. I just watched her for I did not want to attack; an enemy that could not fight back was not worth it.

This time, I think Mizuki might've pushed her limits much too far. She was so intent in hiding her weakness from me that it became quite obvious. I could not let her continue this test. Yes this was all just a test. The Akatsuki leader wanted to see Syrrine's power for himself but I failed to make her release its power; her emotions were well controlled, I must say. In any case, Mizuki has already proven her worth to the Akatsuki, there was no need to rush things; the leader should take my word for it.

Quite suddenly, Mizuki, once again, charged at me. I had to admit, her tolerance for pain was very impressive and I bet she had been ignoring the pain up until now. The tears streamed down from her pain-filled eyes as she attacked. I easily blocked her punch and all the rest of her attacks she aimed at me.

"Mizuki, that's enough!" I told her, hitting a pressure point to knock her out. "This test is over." I added to clear things out with the leader.

I had to report to the leader but my first priority was Mizuki's injury. As I carried her, blood gushed out of her wound but I did not know any healing jutsu, how unfortunate. I left her inside my room after re-bandaging her wound, which had finally stopped bleeding even just for the time being. I sighed whilst giving one last glance at her sleeping figure before shutting the door lightly. I then went to the leader's office, wanting to know what he wanted.

"Ah, Itachi. Come in," he said when he heard the first few knocks on his door.

"You wanted to see me?" I muttered in a blank tone as I entered his office.

"Yes." He answered, smirking behind the shadows.

I waited for his next words, predicting that it had something to do with Mizuki. It was simple it's either he wanted her to stay and join or he could want her dead; everything depended on her performance during our battle earlier.

"Even if I did not get to see the rumored power of Syrrine," he stated, somewhat amused.

"As you've noticed, she had an excellent control over her emotions." I interrupted, calmly.

"Of course, though she had a nasty temperament over you, Itachi." The leader retorted. "Nevertheless, she did have the potential to be a part of Akatsuki. Make sure of that, Itachi." He added moments later when I did not reply. "She'll be a useful instrument in our plans."

I merely nodded my head in approval, considering myself dismissed but before I could exit the double doors of his office, he called me back.

"I'll leave you in charge of keeping her 'under control', Itachi." He stated, his smirk growing wider.

I acquiesced with his orders and soon left his office, not another word was said. I headed straight to my room for I felt exhausted; that fight with Mizuki drained a lot of my energy, leaving my body in need of rest. I pushed open the door leading into my room and when I saw Mizuki sleeping serenely, I flashed a small smile. I lay down beside her, looming over her tranquil face, simply watching her rest. I brushed a few strands of her long hair out of her face and stole a quick kiss upon her soft lips; I just couldn't help myself.

I placed my head on my pillow, immediately falling into a blissful sleep. I dreamt of pleasurable memories that had happened three years ago; the times I spent with Mizuki were haunting my subconscious mind all throughout the night.

"Mizuki..." I whispered under the influence of stupor.

(Sasuke's POV)

"Are you kidding? He's a heartless killer!" I told this girl, Akane was it?

"I am dead serious, Uchiha." She retorted. "Day after day she deals with the people who was interested in Syrrine's power; at least in the Akatsuki, Itachi would be there to protect her and -" She continued.

"What makes you think that that sick b'stard will protect her?" I interrupted, enraged by her claims.

"I do not think, I know." She said to me. "Do you think Akatsuki will let anyone take Mizuki away from their control?" she added.

"But –" I tried to argue.

"And besides, Mizuki has some unfinished business she would like to complete." Akane interrupted me this time. "Being in the Akatsuki will make it easier for her get what she wants."

"You have a point there, Akane." Kakashi stated, ending the debate that was starting between Akane and me.

I chose to keep my thoughts to myself, realizing that she did have a point. But, trusting Mizuki with my brother, that's preposterous. From what I've heard from both Akane and Kakashi, Mizuki was most probably as strong as Itachi, if not stronger. Could a girl that pretty really be capable of beating my older brother, Itachi?